Thanks to a little inspiration from a Dayton, Ohio, bar trivia game, where The Heartless Bastards was a potential answer to a question, singer Erika Wennerstrom found the name for her band. The indie/alternative/punk group played small local shows for a few years before releasing their first album, Stairs and Elevators, on Fat Possum in 2005. Following some lineup adjustments, the band settled in as a four piece, with guitarist Mark Nathan, bassist Jesse Ebaugh, and drummer Dave Colvin joining Wennerstrom for the 2009 album The Mountain. The group’s music ranges from folksy, as in “Could Be So Happy,” to heavy-pounding rock, as on “Early in the Morning.” It’s Wennerstrom’s deep, dramatic voice that commands attention and gives the music its distinctive sound. —Kelly Smith